Champs, The
BandOne Hit WonderActive: 1957–1964
Tracks
8
Total Weeks
63
Highest Peak
1
- Formed
- 1957
- Formed In
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Disbanded
- 1965
- Members
- Chuck Rio [Danny Flores] (saxophone, 1958), Buddy Bruce (lead guitar, 1958), Cliff Hills (bass, 1958), Dale Norris (lead guitar, 1958), Joe Burnas (bass, 1958), Dave Burgess (rhythm guitar, 1958-59), Benjamin Van Norman (bass, 1958) Dean McDaniel (bass, 1958) Bobby Morris (bass, 1958-64) Gene Alden (drums, 1958) Dean Beard (piano, 1958-59) Jim Seals (saxophone, 1958-64) Dash Crofts (drums, 1958-62, 1964-65) Johnny Meeks (guitar, 1959) Jerry Cole (guitar, 1959) Glen Campbell (rhythm guitar, 1959) Keith MacKendrick (saxophone, 1965) Curtis Paul (bass, 1964-65)
The Champs Biography by William Ruhlmann An instrumental quintet formed in Los Angeles in 1957, the Champs comprised Challenge Records executive Dave Burgess (born Lancaster, CA) (guitar) and session players Buddy Bruce (guitar), Chuck Rio (born Daniel Flores, Rankin, TX) (saxophone), Cliff Hills (bass), and Gene Alden (born Cisco, TX) (drums). This lineup recorded Rio's "Tequila" as a B-side to Burgess' "Train to Nowhere." "Tequila" topped the charts in 1958. The Champs essentially were a one-hit wonder, though they recorded a few more singles in the same Latin dance style and kept going until the mid-'60s. The group's lineup was fluid, and later members included Glen Campbell as well as Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, who formed the successful '70s duo Seals and Crofts.